A family-owned and run Cambridge restaurant has landed the title of best Italian Establishment in all of England.

La Pergola, on Cambridge Road in Harlton, has been a local staple for 11 years and took home both the best Italian restaurant in the south award and the overall award at the Food Awards England 2018 on Monday night (October 15).

The restaurant's founders, Giulio and Maria De Simone, still help out with the restaurant even though they are well into their 70s.

Daughter Rosa De Simone, who also works at the restaurant, said her parents' commitment to using traditional Italian methods they grew up with makes the eatery stand out.

Maria De Simone known as Nonna (Image: La Pergola)

She told Cambridgeshire Live: “I think it’s just those little touches that make the difference.”

Hungry diners will appreciate homemade bread baked in the solely wood fired pizza oven, pork and fennel sausages made with fennel brought back from Italy and Antipasti Sott'oli (pickled vegetables).

Rosa said La Pergola also prides itself on growing their own vegetables and herbs in the land beside the restaurant. Customers can enjoy their tomatoes all year round because the family turns the leftover crop into passata to be used in their sauces.

She said: “Lots of the customers, if you read the reviews, lots of them notice the fact that the vegetables taste so good. That's simply because they’re not massed produced.”

Making passata (Image: La Pergola)

Giulio and Maria also continue on the tradition of foraging for wild mushrooms. Their findings go toward one of the restaurant's most popular pasta dishes - parpadelle with wild mushrooms.

Rosa wanted to thank her customers for nominating the restaurant for the award.

She said: “Without them [the customers] you wouldn’t be anything. I think they recognise the hard work and hours that go into the job.”

The restaurant was shortlisted to the finals based on these customer nominations. To secure the top title as La Pergola did at the awards, restaurants must impress the judges in all aspects of their business, including social media platforms and food hygiene ratings.